Its crunch time in the league and it’s the run up to the final league game, playing against Burgess Park CC who we lost to earlier in the year at their cage. Duray took the initiative to 1 - have an early start and 2 - non-player Umpires. A quick poll on the chat and the majority of the team are happy to contribute to paying for an umpire. Lots of suggestions are made, Aman Jain suggests asking to borrow the neutral (and very good) umpire from SinJuns.

Mid-all the other nonsense (coffee, dinner, 2am Morley's) a beautiful text appears from Duray "Ploughmans legend, Ian Berry has volunteered to umpire the game". Let's put this in context and really consider how lucky we are to play cricket at this club. Ian agreed to drive from Hampshire to South London, to stand in the field for 90 overs to ensure we have a fair game, did not want to get paid either. HOW GOOD IS THIS CLUB.

Thank you very much to our very own Mr. Ian Berry.

CRS on the other hand has procured not 1, not 2, not 3 but FOUR packs of squashies. You know it’s important when there are 4 packs of squashies.

On to the game…

Imagine having a great season, you've scored runs, taken wickets, taken blinders, and lead your team from the front the entire season with a roster of excellent cricketers, whose egos, skills and attitudes you have managed for months now.

It comes down to this, due to a few unfortunate results, win and you're promoted on a technicality more than anything. The highest points/runs team placing 3rd across the 4 Surrey leagues is to be promoted.

Now imagine your leg is gone, your physio said LOL at you running a half marathon you've spent months training for. You're not really signed off to play but you do it for the boys. You do it for the Plough and you do it cause it’s your last game of the season and your stint as the 1st team captain.

Duray had plenty going through his mind as we rock up for our final league match vs Burgess Park 1st XI, they're just ahead of us on points at 3. But we're at home. On the Hollies. Our home. The 2s are around the corner at home at the Griffin. This has the makings of another brilliant day for the Plough.

Before the match the vibes are great, we have OBSCENELY large boundaries. Some of the boys are on all fours picking up acorns from under the tree to try to clear it slightly. SOS being sent out to ask John if they have a rake we can borrow.

As we go through the warmup SEO ball is good, the stretching is on point, as is fielding and bowling practice.

Close to play time, Burgess Park only have about 6 players and Duray promptly opts to bat first as we have official umpires who want to get started.

Sean and Umar to open, over the last few weeks its turned into a great partnership, with Sean playing his shots and Umar soaking up the pressure. More of the same please boys. Oddly, Sean is struggling today, shots aren't connecting. On the other end Umar is playing fluently, and races to 9, before his head goes and plays an expansive shot to be caught.

As I walk back to the boys in tatters, I have moment of clarity, last week I scored 44 runs full of chances and the ball falling between players and this week, this is the first mistake I've made and I'm out, cricket is fickle, cricket is a bit of a B-word, but things do even out and we bat DEEP.

Canelo in, we bat deep and despite the early exit, there is a bit of a platform, 30 on the board. As Canelo gets settled in, Sean plays a gorgeous looking front foot defence, the problem is the ball shoots under his bat, bowled.

Gumpert and Canelo duo is short-lived, with Max coping a LbW early on. Duray in and looks gritty, until again he holes out. 41-4 and things are not looking good. But we bat deep, the Jain train join Canelo before the latter is short out for 17 from 42 (top scoring for the Plough). Jain, Edmunds, Lonnen and Barron combine (told you we bat DEEP) - yes, Barron went in at 9 - the boys combine for a much needed 52.

Ritik goes in for a quick 10 before CRS is bowled in the 42nd over. Ploughmans all out for 125.

We all take a contemplative walk to the club house and tuck in to some tea, while heads aren't down, the attitude is quite sober and every member of the team is reflecting on how much the next 2-3 hours will weigh on them over the long long winter but more importantly, we're thinking about what we can do to ensure that the next 2-3 hours are a repeat of last year.

We get back, dress and get or things in order, some of the boys are stretching, others are throwing a ball around, and others are catching up with a growing group of ultras. Even Clara has turned up today for her annual appearance at the DSG.

As predictable as the full moon (more on this later), as predictable as Americans winning something in America and referring to themselves as World Champs, CRS opens the bowling and is accurate from the off, conceding 4 runs in the over.

Ritik Jaat is bowling from the other end, Ritik and I had a run in a number of weeks ago, he was practicing bowling short in the nets, and I said it was a waste of time, we had a disagreement. Last week Ritik apologised and said I was right, he's put the short ball away for the moment and gone back to proper quick bowling. The boy has bowled absolute FIRE over the last few weeks. He'd be on my list for most improved player, but luckily those decisions are not for me to make.

Ritik comes on and traps their opener plumb in front with his 3rd ball. OH GOD HES DOING IT I think as we all run in to celebrate. It's like a dam breaking, all the nerves over the last few days and post batting, it vanishes in an instant. In the huddle, there is determination and grit etched in every face, the boys are UP for this, we can do it. The Skipper and Vice both echo the same message to us: we MAKE this happen, we win and we do it as a team.

Ritik bowls a leg-bye for 1, all good, its quick its hard off the pads, it’s an acceptable outcome. The next ball Temoor Moin (their star player, with 31 league wickets this season) pushes the ball to mid-on thinking he can make it to the danger end, discounting that its Max FUCKING Gumpert at mid-on, Max covers the ground as Temoor makes his ground, but his mate, well his mate thinks he's fine and is running through like he’s already safe. Nope, in a stunning bit of play M Gumpert add to his list of fielding dismissals with a flick to keeper Edmunds and the batsman is WELL out of his group (their umpire giving him out).

30 seconds of absolute pandemonium. The boys are feral, hollering, McGurn is fired up and slapping hands, backs, asses, even James Barron losses his composure and says, "that’s the warmup drills coming in handy". Duray, CRS, Lonnen step in and bring the boys to heel. Stay here boys, stay focused, we keep doing what we do best, build up the pressure.

Temoor has the audacity to hit CRS for 4 in the next over. The next over by Ritik starts with another unplayable delivery past the bat that has the boys howling. Sean and Duray are making sure Temoor knows we're here. Temoor however hits the next ball for one of the biggest 6s anyone has ever seen. For a moment it looked like there would be a broken window for the house in front of the pitch we're playing on. Burgess Park erupts and rising to the Plough's chat, start calling for a new ball immediately.

Luckily, there has only been 3 overs, and we look for the new ball, after about 5mins of just chatting and waiting while balls are found, the original is returned to us. Ritik follows up with an absolute Jaffa that even Temoor, in his own shell, not engaged with us at all, nods at Ritik in appreciation, all he gets in return is absolute daggers. Ritik did not enjoy that 6.

We go through the overs, the pressure is real, our bowlers are unreal, our fielding is tight, there are absolutely no quick singles here. CRS is all lines and lengths and dots. Ritik is serious, unrelenting quick bowling, keeping Burgess Park penned.

CRS bowls a maiden.

As Ritik runs in for his 6th over, (12th of the match), he bowls an absolute beauty. Well maybe a beauty, in a wonderful bit of poetry and balance, the ball pitches, completely dies and just about grazes the outside of off-stump on its way through. Ritik bowls a wicket maiden.

CRS bowls another maiden…

Ritik runs in to bowl, I only see this from the side at point, but McGurn is convinced it was an absolute peach that did everything, including stopped at Starbucks and got a pumpkin spice latte, before lightly kissing the bails off for another wicket. Ritik bowls another wicket maiden, it’s a clutch game and he's just bagged his 3rd wicket, MASSIVE BALLS. 35-3.

CRS finally goes for a few runs. Ritik now all fire and venom is running in harder, chasing his 5th and more importantly he wants Temoor – Ritik did not like that 6.

But back to CRS, I’ve made it a point to highlight his maidens, bowling much like batting is all about partnerships and in his final over Chris Roden-Smith comes through for the Plough by getting Temoor out. Its crucial. The boys are up, we all know how BIG this wicket was. Temoor nicked off on 28 to the safe hands of Harry Edmunds.

Ritik now running in for the 18th over bowls a beauty (according to the cordon). From the side, the flash of red and pins the (middle?) stump, its leaning back, the bails are off. The boys are OFF. RITIK JUST GOT HIS FOURTH. There is hollering about 5fers, but Duray, Lonnen, CRS are quick to reign us back in. Boys stay focused here, let’s keep the pressure on.

This dismissal has bought in their skipper Ghulam Rasool, for those not in the know, this man opened the bowling, 9 overs, 3 maidens, 3 wickets going for 18 runs. He then strapped on the pads and kept for the rest of the match. At 53 for 6, his team needed him to step up big time and did he ever.

The next 4 overs were an absolute battle. Tom Lonnen and Aman Jain (this bowling line up has absolutely no let-up) work together to bowl tidily to try to keep Rasool pegged back and work to get the others out. Every other ball elicits howls from the close fielders, I don’t get involved, I can see they’re bowling well cause of the number of balls that frankly the batters were not good enough to nick off.

At deep mid-wicket, I see a bloke who was out walk to the street, still fully padded and spikes, helmet et al walk past on the pavement – I ask if he’s going home, he said he should cause he was so unlucky.

The 23rd over Duray brings himself on, try to sneak a wicket just before the drinks break. Looking up and the 2s have been steadily pouring in from various gates. It’s not good news, an absolute drubbing against Southwark Park CC. At deep mid-wicket, having assured Duray I’m fine under a high ball, I’m telling myself that the 2s result isn’t a premonition, I need to focus, typically right now the balls going to come my way and I’ll drop it cause I’m thinking 2s.

For Fuck SAKE. Duray’s 5th ball is short, Rasool rocks back and tries his luck with the boundaries. He’s hit it UP rather than far. I run in from the boundary and feel like I’d be lucky to get to it but it’s the danger man, I need to try and catch this. I make it, probably 1-2 steps behind where it would have been a comfortable catch and watch as it goes through my hands trying to take it at knee height, running as hard as I can.

I’ve just cost this team promotion, maybe selection were right not picking me, FUCK I’ve just lost us this game. Duray bowls another dot ball, and I collapse to the ground with the above and worse ticking through my head.

UMAR COME ON the skipper hollers, I get up and walk over apologising over and over, and as anyone will tell you Duray puts the team and his teammates ahead of his figures and runs and tells me it’s fine, we’ve got this and he needs me at my best for the next 22 overs.

I walk over to a round of “unlucky”s but know that I should have caught that and everyone knows it. I walk over to Clara to get my water bottle, and she has absolutely no idea that I’ve potentially cost us the game. “Good luck” she says as I go grab some squashies and try to move on.
The battle resumes with Aman bowling wonderfully, facing him weekly at nets is both the best and worst part of my week. I have absolutely no desire to face the boy on a spicy Hollies pitch, but the Burgess Park boys are coping, with a partnership building and 2 steady batters.

Lonnen however, does what Tom Lonnen does, its metronomic, its elegance and quick. Lonnen is really getting the ball through and gets the breakthrough! Bowling their number 7 emphatically.

Rasool at the other end keeps chipping away with 1s and 2s and occasional 4s. He brings up his 50 and you can see the tide shifting, you can see the boys starting to question whether we can still do this.

I try my best to put him off, beautifully and dutifully joined by the cordon in telling him he’s alone, “look there, your mate doesn’t care, he’s going for a shower” “ONLY ONE TEAM OUT HERE BOYS” – he’s not biting, we need a bit of Dom Scott here to talk to him about the creases in his shirt. There is no give, is there?

Aman runs in to bowl, Aman fucking Jain, the Jain train whose crucial innings last year at the same time got the 2s through to the league win, he bowls the 30th over. Dot, dot, dot, dot, I’m fielding at short cover-point now to stop the single more than anything. Aman bowls slightly short, a fraction off the mark and Rasool goes for a front foot pull. I’m seeing this in slow motion, this is the nail in the coffin, Aman like Ritik earlier for the 6 is off the mark and this guy is going to nail this to the boundary and finally crush the fight from the Plough.

Nope. Duray, injured, exhausted, looking around to see what he can do to rescue his boys DIVES. He. Is. Horizontal. He takes the catch 4 inches off the ground. I immediately cover my mouth in utter shock, he’s not just caught this guy out, Duray has literally plucked both the promotion and the fight from Burgess Park. The ultras erupt, even Barron is shocked at this catch, the boys are feral again.

Their umpire questions whether the catch was clean and is told by the players and Ian Berry that it was very much clean. Thank you, Mr Berry.
Oh and did I mention its now 113 for 8 chasing 125, with 15 overs remaining. Tensions are high, Barron has been told to get loose, the atmosphere on pitch is electric. We’re back in this and we’re going to make this sliver of a chance count.

With any other players it could be too much. The pressure, carrying your teammates hopes and quite simply the desire to win might mess up some bowlers. But not Super Tom Lonnen. The 31st over starts with a 3, a 1, dot, dot then he traps number 10 dead in front. It must have been SO VERY OUT because given the situation even their umpire (who was fair the entire match) gave him out (118-9).

It could be easy to get carried away in this situation, but Aman Jain has the experience and skill to rise to this occasion. He bowls at their number 9 full and straight the first ball of the 32nd over, the Plough ERUPT – Canelo is appealing from deep mid-wicket on the boundary next to the club house. Ian Berry raises his finger and what follows is some of the best experiences of my cricketing life.

The crowd erupt, the boys erupt, this is a frenzy, we’re laughing, we’re crying, there are hugs, tears, relief. The urge to sit down and sob in relief after the dropped catch is palpable, I may still do it at some point this week. But right now, it’s about the team, this very special group and squad of mates.

We share congratulations with each other, shake the hands of the oppo (spirit of the Plough and all) We walk to hugs, kisses and butt grabs from the fellow plough as well as the ultras. This is what it’s all about, this is what the blood sweat and tears have been for. The broken finger, the pulled tendons, the bloody batting gloves and more (and that’s just Duray).

Once the pictures are done there is an URGENT need to shower, the 2s are here, some of the 3s came all the way from near Heathrow, and there is a need to SHOWER.

Beers are poured, theres a sense of relief and achievement in the changing rooms, the music is blaring. DON’T YOU WANT ME DURAY, DON’T YOU WANT ME DOOOOOOZ.

Barron walks in, to rapturous applause, half for what he does for the team, and half for what he does for the showers XI. Lonnen walks in and we damn near blow the roof off singing his song. You can tell this means a lot, Lonnen is singing with us, Lonnen is thumping the wall with us. We crescendo to a rousing “Plough march on” before heading to get dressed.

Nieboer says it was the longest shower, I don’t think it was long enough. Poppy is in the shower, there’s a full jug in the shower, and these boys that that have worked and sweated together since April are here, there’s no need to leave.

The looks from a couple of Dulwich CC players as we lather up a storm while hollering says it all. THIS IS PLOUGHMANS CRICKET CLUB.
As the evening turns goes on, we break tradition and present a baggy to Jimmy Anderson (not that one) – he almost immediately falls into the bushes wearing it. He already knows our traditions. I see him wearing it still at 3am when Clara and I get the uber from Hootenany’s.

The evening turns into one of those beautiful, brilliant periods of life where there is so much passion and love shared amongst friends for this beautiful, brilliant cricket club and the community it has created. People are mingling, making new friends with friends of friends and making especially good friends with the jugs. There isn’t a table without a jug, and most are replaced as they get to half empty.

Thank you personally for allowing me to be part of this. Plough On!

A note from our Vice Captain, Chris Roden-Smith:

A few words, as Umar’s asked for some of my thoughts on the season.

As always, it’s been an absolute pleasure. This has been such a delightful side to be a part of.

Obviously a massive thanks to Duray. He’s lead this side sensationally for 2 years now, instilling a real work ethic, while still prioritising fun and keeping the Plough spirit. And we’ve got a league win and a promotion to show for it. Very fitting that his final catch as skipper was so crucial in winning the game for us.

A big shout to everyone who’s played this year too. You’ve all showed up and been stand up blokes. Everyone has bought in to the Plough culture and done whatever’s asked of them - stepping up when required and being selfless when that’s needed too.

In the last 2 years, the 1st XI has never lost back-to-back matches. That’s across 40 matches, including league and friendlies.

At times we’ve been utterly dominant. At other times, much like Saturday, we’ve ground out wins while not being at our best. That determination has made us very hard to beat and shows some real character from all.

But those successes are also the culmination of everything that goes on in this club: from the committee who do a tremendous amount of work; to the volunteers who help us get fixtures, scorebooks/balls to matches, and chase up availabilities; to those running training; to those who show up at training and help push each other to be better; to the friends and families; and to everyone who just brings their best selves to this club and makes it such an enjoyable place to be.

This club enjoys success as whole, and we enjoy it because we are whole.

Thank you all, Plough on!

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A note from Captain Duray Pretorius:

It has been my absolute honour and privilege to lead the First XI over the last two years. The role has been an incredibly rewarding experience; one I’ve learned so much from. More than anything, it has reminded me that it really does take a village.

First and foremost, thank you to Liam. I inherited a great team and a strong framework to build on, thank you for always backing me. I couldn’t have asked for a better platform to step into.

AJ and Leon, the time, care and effort you put into selection each week is unbelievable. Thank you. I’m not sure what I’ll do with my Mondays now, but I know I’ll miss being part of those discussions more than I realise.

To the committee and to everyone who volunteers their time to make this club what it is, thank you. Without so many people quietly chipping in, doing their part, there’s no way we’d have been anywhere near as successful as we have been.

To the 26 players that have given up their Saturdays to play in the team this year, thank you for putting up with my yoga-inspired warmups, my wordy team talks and my screeches from gully. But above all, thank you for the fight, the sweat, and for leaving absolutely everything out there.
A special thank you as well to the partners and friends of the Plough. Thank you for letting me borrow your Plough this summer. I hope you enjoy their company over the winter. And if you do ever get tired of them, just drop me a message and I’ll happily take them off your hands again.
Finally, CRS. You’ve been my rock. My confidant, my opening bowler and the steady presence I’ve leaned on throughout. The ying to my yang. I love playing cricket with you and I’m truly grateful for everything you’ve done.

To everyone, thank you for trusting me, backing me and making these two years so special. I will always be proud to have worn the armband for this great club.

#PloughOn

Match report from Umar Iqbal